Belgian beer and it’s domestic offshoots have been gaining traction in America for some time now, with bold Americanized versions of classic Belgian styles and Belgique American ales appearing more and more often. It has become readily apparent that the Belgian-Style (India) Pale Ale is the trendy craft style du jour. Houblon Chouffe and Urthel Hop-It were two early examples of hopped-up, American West Coast takes on Belgian Tripel-style beers. More recently Ommegang’s BPA, Ale Asylum’s Bedlam (hitting store shelves now), and here, Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch carry the torch for a new era of Transatlantic style-mashing. It also happens that these hoppy-yet-smooth and spicy beers are precisely what I’ve been craving as Spring takes hold. Celebrating 20 years of bold beers with bolder packaging (Ralph Steadman’s labels drew me to Flying Dog beers early in my craft beer journey), Flying Dog chose the en vogue style with Raging Bitch. Resistance was futile.
Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian-Style India Pale Ale
Style: Belgian-Style Pale Ale
Vitals: 8.3% abv; 60 IBUs; Malts – 60L Crystal; Hops – Warrior, Columbus, Amarillo (for dry-hopping); Yeast – El Diablo; $8.49/Six-pack at Barriques Wine & Spirits
Bitches come in a variety of forms, but there’s never been something as sassy as Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch Belgian IPA. An American IPA augmented with Belgian yeast, our 20th anniversary beer jumps out of the glass and nips at your taste buds with its delicate hop bitterness. At 8.3% ABV, this bitch is dangerously drinkable.
My take: pours a vibrant tangerine orange under ample white froth in the glass. Nose bristles with pine and citrus hops, subtle yeasty spice and mellow stone fruits. The palate is spiked by the sharp resinous hops profile, but is assuaged by the soft banana and clove notes of the Belgian-style yeast. The overall effect is a deft melding of IPA and a Belgian-style golden ale. The softening effect of the amber malts and fruity yeast lends drinkability that belies the alcoholic heft within. All bitch imagery aside, this is exactly the kind of beer I crave this time of year and a timely choice for Flying Dog’s 20th Anniversary.
43north/89west 
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